Regional Plan of Conservation and Development, 2006-2015

Regional Plan of Conservation and Development, 2006-2015Chapter 3 – Economic ProfileThe South Western Region can fairly be called the“economic engine” of Connecticut. The Region’seconomy is built on a foundation of large internationalcorporations, exceptional regional and local retailcenters, and a strong professional services sector.Although the Region contains only about 10percent of the state’s population, it contributed 30percent of the real estate conveyance tax revenuecollected by the state in 2003, and 22.5 percent ofstate income tax revenue.Table 3.1 – Top Five Grand List Contributors, 2003CompanySwiss BankCorporation/UBSEOP Stamford AtlanticForumLocation Grand List AmountStamford $152,458,372Stamford $136,459,707Merritt 7 Venture LLC Norwalk $118,063,820Connecticut Light & PowerCo.Ten & Twenty Westport II,LLCStamford $110,948,032Wilton $ 94,365,9702000, the Region generally fared well, especially whencompared to other parts of the state. Indeed, as of2005, property values in the Region continued theirremarkable growth.The Region’s economic strength, however, bringswith it its own set of concerns. The large number ofcommuters into the Region – combined with a lack ofinvestment in the regional transportation network – hasresulted in chronic traffic congestion. This problem isexacerbated by the Region’s extraordinarily high realestate prices, which have essentially priced outmiddle-class and even upper middle-class families,causing them to live farther and farther from their jobsas they seek affordable housing outside the Region.While salaries in the Region continue to be among thehighest in the U.S., they have not kept pace with realestate prices. As commuting distances grow, someworkers will reach a tipping point at which they willchoose to accept less money to work closer to home,making it more expensive for the Region’s employersto find qualified employees. Ultimately, this couldresult in an out-migration of employers to other partsof Connecticut, if not out of the state altogether.Whether the Region’s other economic strengths andits quality of life are enough to offset these negativesremains to be seen.Source: CERC Town Profiles, 2005 (http://www.cerc.com/detpages/resources374.htmlTo a large degree, the Region owes its strongeconomy to its proximity to New York City. During thevarious fiscal crises of the 1970s and 80s, many largecompanies chose to leave New York and buildcorporate facilities in the Region, and especiallyStamford. These companies were drawn to the Regionby a number of factors, including lower real estatecosts, good accessibility, a well-educated workforceand Connecticut’s relatively stable fiscal climate. Thefact that the Region was also home to many of thesecompanies’ top executives very likely factored into thedecision to relocate here.The corporate outflow from New York abatedduring the economic boom of the late 1990s, and infact, Manhattan reaffirmed its status as the nation’seconomic capital. Just as the Region had benefitedfrom New York’s economic and social decline in theprevious decades, so it did as a result of the City’sascension in the latter half of the 1990s. Dramaticgrowth in property values and, to a lesser extent,income levels, occurred through the last decade andinto the new millennium. Although this growth wasstemmed as a result of the recession that began inEmploymentUBS, StamfordAccording to Census 2000, 88 percent of theRegion’s residents worked in service and businessoriented professions, as indicated in the pie chart.According to BLS data, nearly 92 percent of theRegion’s jobs were in the service sector in 2004. Infact, the Region employs a higher percentage ofpeople in service-sector professions than either the13